7472/Book-Signings and Brews

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Book-Signings and Brews
Date of Scene: 21 August 2021
Location: Rococo Bookstore and Wine Club
Synopsis: Eddie meets The Gray Ghost and buys a signed copy of his book
Cast of Characters: Simon Trent, Eddie Brock




Simon Trent has posed:
     It was a beautiful day in the city of Gotham. The sun was shining through the smog the people were milling about through the streets, and there was no question in peoples minds that it was another perfectly Gotham day.

     Of course it may have been a bit miserably to breathe with the air pollution quality index fairly higher than normal, and the trraffic was backed up for several miles around the block due to another jumper from an office building down the road, but life went on in the city of gotham as it always had.

     Here in Rococo however it seems that things have been set up for a celebrity book signing with none other than TV's own super star Simon Trent. With a stack of books to one side of the table and his autograph pen at the ready he was primed and roaring to go at the opportunity to sign copies of his autobiography The Man Behind The Mask.

     Any minute the hordes of fans would come pouring through those front doors filing in a line around the block just to get his autograph and hear words of wisdom from his lengthy hollywood career, and maybe gain a peak behind the curtain at the reunion season of Beware The Gray Ghost. It was only a matter of time.

     As it had been only a matter of time for the last 4 hours with barely a single visitor in sight. He'd managed to get two of the bookstore employees to grab copies and so far that was about his lot for the day.

     "Maybe it's the traffic?" He offered to no one in particular looking towards the open door. "I bet it's the traffic." He reassured himself with confidence, that award winning smile returning to his face.

Eddie Brock has posed:
The trip up to Gotham had been quick, thanks to the HyperLoop. There was a station just a short drive from the sleepy town near the beach cottage of Eddie's buddy. A buddy who was hosting Eddie and Gwen Stacy for the week as a little summer getaway before Gwen had to go back to school.

   <<Venom>> "This was a long way to come for wine. Why do humans like wine so much? Whiskey gets the job done faster."

Eddie gives a small nod to the voice in his head that only he can hear, as he walks down the sidewalk towards Rococo. "It's good. Goes well with food. The flavors work together," he says softly enough he might seem to just be talking to himself.

   <<Venom>> "Speaking of food. We should find someone to eat while we are here. Gotham has a reputation for people you will let me eat."

Eddie lets out a soft sigh. "It does, but we don't have time. Here's the place." Eddie enters the bookstore and wine shop. A glance is given towards the signs for the book signing, but Eddie goes to the counter. "Picking up an order for Eric Evans," he says. The clerk checks the computer there and says, "Case... yeah, this just got in an hour or two ago. It's still in back. Let me go dig it out," he says, motioning to someone else to cover for him as he heads in back.

Eddie stuffs his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. He looks a little scruffy, not because he's on vacation. He just always looks that way. But thick, built like a rugby player. He wanders around, stopping and looking at a book on a shelf here and there. He smiles at a book in the English Literature section. His wandering brings him near to where Simon Trent is sitting at the book signing.

Simon Trent has posed:
     Once Trent sees someone coming over to the stall he's on full display. The elderly man is partially balding and dressed quite a bit like Mr.Rogers if one takes the time to take him in. A more buff, balding grey haired Mr.Rogers with perhaps just a bit too much cologne on him.

     He comes to a stand and offers a friendly smile towards Eddy. "Hello there, can I interest you in a fine autographed copy of my autobiography," He pauses for a flash of pearly white teeth that smile friendly and laced earnest confidence in his product. "It's a classic cover to cover, you won't want to put it down."

     He sets the book down closer to him at the edge of the table. "I know I may not look like much now, but back in my prime I was TV's Gray Ghost of Beware The Gray Ghost, and the star of Have Gun Will Run winner of the academy award for best picture,"

     He takes a light breath offering with almost a bit of desperation in his voice. "Simon Trent, maybe you've heard of me?"

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie has his attention pulled from a copy of Ibsen's A Doll's House towards Simon as he rises and addresses him. "Simon Trent, I remember you," Eddie says while pointing a finger and bouncing the hand a few times. "Used to see reruns of those when I was a kid," the man in his mid thirties says in his somewhat raspy voice.

"Got a book now, do you?" he asks as he looks over at Simon's table. Eddie picks up a copy, turning it over to read the back jacket. "Think my dad liked that western, was before my time, never saw it myself. He liked to watch that Western channel once it came out," he says.

Eddie turns his eye on Simon himself. A glance that lets the former investigative journalist take the measure of the older man. His eyes go back to the book then, checking the price.

   <<Venom>> "If you buy that you won't have money to take Gwen on the parachute above the boat."

The simple truth from the symbiote makes Eddie have to suppress the frown that wants to form. Gwen does love exciting stuff like that. Too bad he can't take her for a swing through the city at night. But that would require letting her know about Venom. And no way he's going to do that.

Eddie gives a nod of his head back to Simon. "Does a personalized signing come with it?" he asks.

Simon Trent has posed:
     Simon is in great shape for the shape his in but it's clear that he hasn't been eating or sleeping half as well as he's been exercising. Far more focus on keeping in physical shape than anything else. There's something inside the man which is overjoyed even if he doesn't show it on his face at the fact that someone perhaps for the first time today actually recognized him at his little book signing event.

     He looks over with a warm and genuine smile like a grandfather and grabs his fancy pen. "Anything for a fan." Those pearly whites shine with joy across his face as he pulls off the cap of his pen. "How do you want it made out?"

Eddie Brock has posed:
Given what he sensed from the man and the current state of the book signing, it doesn't take that much for Eddie to deduce the purchase might mean something to the older man. "How about if you make it out to my girlfriend, Gwen? We're down south at a friend's place on the beach for the week. We can both use a good read while we're relaxing on the sand," Eddie says.

He passes the book over to Simon. "How about something like: Gwen, There's no better weapon against evil than people caring for one another," Eddie suggests, using one of The Gray Ghost's taglines. Seems he really did watch the series as a kid!

   <<Venom>> "That's corny."

   <<Eddie>> "We've said worse."

Simon Trent has posed:
     "Absolutely I can." Simon dashes the pen across the page dancing with ink like a surgeon working through a complex surgery with pristine precision in each penstroke. He works with care and attention to detail that one might not expect from a simple book signing making sure to fill the simple sentence with the attention it deserves.

     "You know when I suggested to Thomas in the writers room that we put that line in they wanted nothing to do with it, thought the whole thing made the episode feel a bit too Saturday morning." He chuckles to himself as he sets down the pen to one side looking over the book with a nostalgic glint in his eyes as he folds the book shut.

     "I looked him dead in the eyes and I told him: Thomas, if we don't tell these people the truth no one else will." He waggles his finger towards Eddy for a moment with a nostalgic expression on his face, sliding the book over. "And I tell you that episode was one of the top rated episodes we ever filmed."

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie Brock watches as Simon Trent makes the personalized signing. He isn't sure if Gwen is familiar with the actor. But he doesn't doubt that if she were here, she'd have been in favor of buying one of his books.

"I think it's a great line," Eddie says in his raspy warble of a voice. "Kids need to hear stuff like that. For most people, they grow up and it's too late then to learn about caring for other people," he says, looking down and scuffing at the ground with the toe of his shoe. "To caught up in themselves, right?"

Eddie gives the older man a smile. "Thanks, I think she'll like this. And I'm looking forward to reading it," he says.

The clerk emerges from a doorway in the back, carrying a case of wine out towards the front.

Simon Trent has posed:
     Trent Sets back down at his table with a bit of a warm smile. "I hope she enjoys it, it took a lot of self reflection to write that book." He pauses for a moment. "I was already half way done by the time I realized I could have hired a ghost writer to do it for me, and by then it was too late." He lets out a deep belly laugh as he scrunches himself back down into the chair atop his overly plush cushion that he'd sat on the rather uncomfortable chair provided for him.

     As Eddy collects his wine a pair of rather old looking men come walking in to get their own copies signed, and then one more, a small trickle of people coming fourth from the darkened city. Maybe there is hope out there after all?

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie Brock turns his head, glancing towards the doorway as the old men come in, their conversation carrying enough that it's clear they came to see Simon. "Glad I beat the rush," Eddie says as he looks back towards Simon.

"Hey, it means more coming from you directly I figure. And that's coming from someone who has done some ghost writing for others," Eddie shares with Simon.

The clerk comes over with the crate of wine. It is just enough weight one can tell it takes a little effort for the young man, though Eddie takes it easily enough, holding it with one hand against his side.

"Best of look to you, Mr. Trent. And thanks again for the book," he says, brandishing the hardcover to accentuate his words. "Take care of yourself now."